Many years ago, I booked Frank..
to turn up at a wedding of a couple who were both fans. As it approched and I thought more about how few people would know who he was and how much middle class snobbery there was in the bride's extended family, I panicked and changed the booking to just turning up for at the evening "do". To make it worse the best man's speech absolutely bombed due to this social chasm. On the night I had to meet Frank and his manager in the car outside to make the payment and to run through what was required. I explained he was facing a tough audience that it was best to keep it fairly brief. As Mike the manager reiterated this in a serious tone, he just gave a big thumbs and said "Oh yes boss" and with that he was off and running. He ended up doing about twenty minutes and had the audience eating out of his hand. The bride and groom were delighted. He presented them with a "Sidey" (little Oscar style statuette of himself made from paper mache)thoughtfully wrapped in an old Altrincham FC scarf. He also performed a wedding song which included lying down on the floor to play his keyboard. He was fantastic - you know he was, he really was.

Sadly, the marriage didn't last and when my relationship with the bride's sister came to an end, I lost touch with them. However I did see them about a year ago (at a funeral as tends to be the case). The groom said that (some twenty years later) he still tells people about how Framk Sidebottom came to his wedding. I forgot to ask who got custody of the "Sidey".
(Cave Duck, Mon 12 Apr 2010, 9:36, Reply)